Feeder



P. J. WILCH.

FEEDER.

APPLICATION man 1AN.|2. 1920.

1,357,755. 5 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

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wi'hwoo P. J. WILCH.

FEEDER. 4

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.12,1920.

1 357,755. PatenteaNov. 2,1920. A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ,fa A

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witness PETER J'. WILCH, OE JENERA, OHIO.

FEEDER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application led January 12, 1920. Serial No. 350,765.

To (all whom 'it muy concern.'

Be it known that PETER J. GL01-I,

a citizen of the United States, residing' at Jenera, in the county ot Hancock and State of hiO, have invented a neW and useful Feeder, oi? which the following` is a speciication.

rllhis invention relates to improved 'feeding' troughs, and it the primary object ot the invention to provide a feeder having` automatic means for agitating' the material heiney lfed for causing' the same to properly reed to the feed compartments thereof.

further object oi' the invention is to provide a 'feeder to be operated by the movenient of the swine being fed, thus eliminatine' the use ot the usual mechanical means tor causing the operation ci the au'itators.

fith the foregoing' and other objects in view which will appear the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement or" parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimet, it beine,` understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, withoutdepartinn' from the spirit oi the invention.

ii'leterriin;` to the drawings Figure 1 illustrates a front elevational view of a Yfeeder, constructed in accordance with the present invention, tl e saine beine; shown as partly broken away;

Fi 2 illustrates a plan vievv partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view; and

Fie'. l is a sectional view taken on line lv-il ot Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the includes the end walls 5 and side walls t3. which extend downwardly 'from a point adjacent the upper edges ci. the end vvolls 5, terminating' at a point substantially -nediate the lengths ot the end Walls 5, provide a clearance between the loiver es of lrhe side Walls 6 and the lower portion. oi: the feeder.

lSands 'T are arranged under the end Walls 3 ot the feeder for supporting' the feeder proper, andas shown, the skids are disposed in spaced parallel relation with cach other, `the ends thereolc extending' beyond the vertical plane 'ot the end walls 5 of the teeder, the lower portions of each ot the skids being inclined or beveled as at 8 to permit the skids to readily move over the ground surface on which the device is supported to enable the feeder to be moved to various locations, at the will of the operator.

End braces 9 also form a part of the ,'eedeig and as shown, by Fig. -1 of the draivings, the end braces S) rest on the skids '7, and brace the ends of the 'leeder by their connections With the brace bars 10 which extend from points adjacent the upper edges ot' the skids 7, and terminate at points adj acent the upper ends of the end Walls Secured to these end Walls 5, and forming' continuations of the side Walls 6, are the inclined boards 11, which as shown are inclined toward the center ot the feeder, the adjacent edges thereof lying` in spaced relation with each other, to provide'a clearance for allowing,` food or material contained in the teeder to pass trom the upper portion of the feeder or hopper, formed by the side Walls 6 and inclined boards 11.

Pivotally supported between the end Walls 5, and in a position directly under the inclined boards 11, is a feed trough 12 which includes side walls 13 and a bottom member 111, the Walls 13 providing means for connecting; the end Walls 16 ot the trough 12, and at the saine time provide supports tor the partitioning' members 17 which partition the feed trough into a plurality ot' feeding compartments indicated by the reference character 18.

The links 19 have connection with the end Walls 16 or" the Jfeed trough 12, at the loiver ends thereof, the upper ends ot the links 19 lnivinn` pivotal connection With the end vvalls 5 oli the 'feeder proper.

From the foregoing' it is obvious that the trough 12 is free to move or rock Within the feeder proper. to cause the material contained in the hopper to become loosened so that the saine may readily pass into the feed trough 12. j

Longitudinal movement of the 'feed trough 12 with relation to the feeding device proper, is prevented by means oi' the extensions 20. which are disposed between the end walls ot the feedtrough 12 to provide a delivery spout. This spout is associated With the metallic members 21, ivhieh have their upper edges secured to the inner side Walls ot the inclined boards 11, the lower edges 'thereof operating' between the extensions 20, and due to the end bars 22, which are connected to the extensions 20, having adjustable connection with the end members 5 of the feeder proper, the extensions 20 may be adjusted with relation to the feed trough l2, and more particularly the scraping` bar 23, which acts to move the material deposited by the spout to distribute the same evenly throughout the various feed compartments of the feed trough 12.

rlhe end bars 22 of the extensions 20 are slotted as at 24;, which slots accommodate the bolts 25 for permitting the adjustment as just described, the bolts acting as securing means for securing the extensions 2O in their positions of adjustment.

Disposed within these end bars 22 are the slots 2G which slots provide clearances for the agitating bar 27 extending longitudinally of the feed trough between the extensions 20, this bar being provided for agitating the material between the extensions 2t), to prevent the material clogging at this point to render the feeder inoperative, in the event that wet feed is deposited within the feeder.

A rockingframe 28 surrounds the lower portion of the feeder proper, and is of a size to pivot with relation to the feeder proper, and as shown this frame 28 includes the platforms or treadles 29 disposed in such relation with the feed trough that the swine being fed must rest their fore feet Yon the platforms with the result that movement of the bodies of the swine will cause a relative movement of the agitating arms, to be hereinafter more fully described, to indireotly cause the operation of the agitating bar 27. I

Slots 30, are formed in the end walls 5 of the feeder proper, and accommodate the reduced portions 3l of the agitating` bar 32, extending the entire distance between the end walls the bars 83 which have connection with the agitating bar 32 extend downwardly to connect the agitating bar 82 to the agitating bar 27, so that movement of the agitating bar 32 causes a relative lmovement of the agitating bar 27 to cause the feedingof material through the hopper.

rlhe agitator arms 3/1' conne-ct the rocking frame 28 and agitating bar 82by means of the pivot pins- 35 and 8G, the pivot vpins being provided adjacent the ends of the agitator Larms 3ft, and since these arms 84E are disposed at angles it is obvious that movement of the rocking frame 28 will cause a relative vertical movement of the agitating bars 32 and 27.

A cover 38 forms a part of the feeder and includes depending end sections 39 adapted to embrace the end and side walls of the feeder proper adjacent theY upper edges thereof, in a manner to insure the cover 38 being held in proper relation to prevent moisture from entering the hopper to spoil the feed within the same, in the event that the hopper is employed in an open field.

Connecting links l0 provide means for securing the cover 88 to the feeder proper to permit the cover to be moved a predetermined distance laterally of the feeder proper, uncovering the upper portion of the feeder to permit the hopper to be filled. A right angled bracket il isV secured to the underside of the cover, and is disposed in such relation with the slot 42 formed in one of the side walls 6 of the'feeder proper that the same will Venter the slot when the cover has been moved to a predetermined position, thus locking the cover against displacement byordinary means.

From the foregoing it is evident that material which is deposited in the hopper of the feeder will be agitated by the agitating bar 82 to loosen the same and cause the discharge of the material to the feed trough l2,

theaction of the pivoted' frame 28 causing the operation of the agitating bars.

It is believed that in view of the foregoing description a detailed description of the operation of the device, step by step,

is unnecessary. l

Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed is ln a feeding device, a hopper, a lower feed trough pivotally supported under the hopper, a spout providing communication between the trough `and hopper, said spout including end bars having slots, an agitating member disposed inthe hopper, said agitating member including a lower agitating bar having its ends disposed within the slots, and means for automatically operating Vthe agitating member to cause material to 

